1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gondola display racks, and more particularly to improvements in a gondola display rack having a base, vertical uprights extending upwardly from the rear of the base, and shelves connected to the uprights and cantilevered over the base.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gondola racks are widely used in marketing to pleasingly display goods or items for sale in a manner appealing to the average consumer. These types of gondola displays typically have a floor contacting base, a pair of uprights extending vertically from the rear of the base, and shelves connected to the uprights cantilevered over the base. The base also commonly has a shelf or surface thereatop. The shelves may be oriented substantially horizontally or may be tilted slightly, downwardly and forwardly, to produce a gravity type feed of product thereon. These types of display racks are commonly employed to display, for sale, items such as soft drinks, snacks and the like. A display utilized in this manner is commonly referred to in the industry as a "point of purchase" display.
One problem common to these types of gondola displays is the tendency of the uprights to be angled greater or less than 90.degree. with respect to the base, or to otherwise deviate from true vertical. In other words, "slack" or "slop" in the connection between the base and the uprights tends to allow the uprights to tilt or deviate from true vertical. This problem may contribute to or amplify the tendency of a gondola to become unstable.
Another common problem which typical gondola displays share is the lack of a so-called "sweep" space beneath the shelf atop the base. This results due to the fact that most gondola bases have a display shelf thereatop which is typically downwardly and forwardly tilted so as to produce a gravity-type feed of the product thereon. A small gap results between the floor surface and the front edge of the shelf on the base, which allows errant paper, debris, and the like to be swept underneath this lowermost shelf. However, this space or gap between the floor surface and the base shelf is not so great as to allow one to, for example, sweep underneath the shelf with a broom of either the flat broom type or the push broom type. Accordingly, then, debris tends to accumulate underneath this lowermost shelf with no readily available means of cleaning up this debris, short of actually moving the gondola display from its original location to another location to allow for sweeping thereunder.
One other problem associated with these types of gondola displays is the fact that most shelves do not fit adjacent or abut the gondola uprights or the back panel of the display rack spanning between the uprights. This is usually due to the fact that the rear edge of the shelf does not itself engage the uprights, but relies upon some sort of cantilevered bracket to support the shelf from the upright. Most gondola displays employ sides having supporting brackets made integral thereto, such as by welding. If the bracket is configured to selectively orient the shelf either horizontally, or tilted downwardly and forwardly for gravity feed, invariably in one orientation a gap between the rear edge of the shelf and the forward surface of the gondola upright will result. This gap between the rear edge of the shelf and the gondola uprights or back of the gondola display can be as much as one inch or greater depending on the assembly. This gap or offset tends to cantilever the product displayed on the shelf further away from the gondola uprights, and in so doing tends to decrease the stability of the display. Furthermore, these shelves having supporting brackets made integral thereto present a geometry which is inefficient for packing and shipping purposes.
Another requirement of these types of gondola displays is the necessity to maintain the display in a stable relationship when all the shelves are fully loaded with product. In typical gondola displays the base may not be deep enough; at best, the shelves extend out from the gondola uprights the same distance as does the base, and at worst the shelves extend further out from the uprights than does the base. In either case, the depth of the base can be inadequate to prevent the display from being unstable under the moment load generated by product on the shelves.
Accordingly then, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a gondola display rack which has a sufficient "sweep" space beneath the lowermost shelf which is atop the base to prevent debris from becoming irretrievably lodged underneath the lowermost shelf.
It has been another objective of the present invention to provide a gondola display which remedies the "slack" or slop" between the gondola uprights and the gondola base, so as to insure a stable, 90.degree. relationship therebetween.
It has been yet another objective of the present invention to provide a gondola display rack which eliminates the space or gap between the rear edge of the shelves and the gondola uprights or back of the display, which commonly results from one-piece shelf-bracket units selectively movable between horizontal and gravity feed positions.
It has been still another objective of the present invention to provide a gondola display rack which has a base of sufficient depth to insure stability of the rack when it is fully loaded with product.